sulaavat

Sulaavat is a Finnish word that functions both as a present participle adjective and as a finite verb form. It is derived from the verb sulaa (to melt) with the present-participle suffix -va, producing the meaning "melting" or "thawing." In plural nominative, sulaavat describes multiple items that are in the process of melting.

As an adjective, sulaava becomes sulaavat in the plural. For example, sulaavat jäät means melting ice, where jäät is the plural nominative of jää (ice). In this use, sulaavat agrees in number with the noun it modifies and can appear before or after the noun, depending on emphasis and syntax.

As a verb form, sulaavat is the third-person plural present indicative of sulaa, meaning "they melt" or "are melting." For instance, Lumet sulaavat lämpimässä säässä translates to "The snows melt in warm weather," with lumet (snows) as the subject.

Usage notes and related terms: sulaava belongs to the class of present participles formed with -va/-vä and commonly functions as an adjective. The noun forms related to melting include sulaminen (the act of melting) and sulaus (a melting, thawing event). Sulaavat appears most often in descriptive or observational contexts, such as weather reporting or climate discussions, where melting processes are described for ice and snow.